Few months before, I shared an experience about Switzerland in the thread "No matter India or Switzerland, it is SAME everywhere". Now I got another matter to share in the same line.
When I came to Switzerland 3 years before, everything was good, except one matter. It is, "Closing" of all shops by 6.30 PM in the evening and whole day on Sunday. No matter what shop it is, whether a cloth shop or a book shop or a grocery shop, it will be closed exactly by 6.30 PM and it will not be opened at all on Sundays.
3 years before, my son was so young and so I rarely go out and used to depend on my husband, especially for shopping house hold items. He used to rush from his office after 6PM and within 20 minutes time, he used to buy all the essential items. Later we shifted to the method of shopping on Saturday for the whole week.
Once when I got to talk to a Swiss citizen, I asked her why the shops are closed by 6.30 PM itself, loosing potential buyers and business. She smiled and said, it was the olden style to discourage women to go to job. I was "Jaw" dropped. She explained me further that, though Swiss is an European country, with all modern outlook, it still possesses the "Man to work and women at home" concept, beneath it. The government itself loves that. Hence they try to make use of every chance, but without any violence (like our Sena group, beating women to force their concept). Closing of shops is one such olden style chance, forcing women to stay at home and take care of all the essential household chores (but now ladies are working on part time basis is a different story).
Later I started realising that the olden concept is still true and valued by Swiss people. Here living as "Family" is more valued. When we say we are "Married", we get more respect than those who say "Living Together". When we go out, people (especially old Swiss citizens) love my husband to speak in public and myself to stand behind. Once when we went to a hotel, where I tried to say something to the old man in the reception and that gentle man said "Ask your man to speak". I was so shocked. Actually my husband was taking some photos of my son and hence I tried to talk to that man.
Though people are changing now because of Globalisation and more foreigners getting into the country, still such old people do exist in Switzerland. Women have a long way to go. Sighhh.
So, again, no matter India or Switzerland, it is same everywhere.
